English Corner @ West Lake

On Sundays Penny (a Chinese student at ZUFE) and I take an hour ride on the B1 bus and we go to English Corner at West Lake. I learned today from one of the attendees that this English corner started more than 25 years ago. Park #6 of West Lake is filled with Chinese practicing their English. There will be a few foreigners like myself that will come and answer and ask questions. But I have never been able to meet any of the other foreigners because as you walk into the area you are immediately surrounded by many people eager to talk. I meet a wide variety of ages and field a wide variety of questions. Today one question was about in-vitro fertilization and another one was asking if I like Chinese food. Last week a child around 8 or 9 had a printed out list of questions he asked me. I am not sure if he could understand any of my answers, but he read the English very well.

Last week was my first week of teaching classes. On my first day photographers came in our rooms and took pictures. The students were all crowded around me because I was showing a PowerPoint of my life in photos on my tiny laptop because the room does not have a projection system, just a blackboard and chalk. (Paula told me to buy one on Amazon before I left but unfortunately I did not follow her advice). Anyway, I am now on their ZUFE News web site. Bad photo but I didn’t get to pick it. If you scroll down to the bottom – you can see a picture of Kris the lady from Dalton Georgia.

Kris, Jim and I had another good meal together last night- one dish was called “smells like fish pork” strange name but good spicy pork and vegetable dish (no fish though).

My class schedule has finally been filled. I teach a total of 8 different groups of students (which they count as a full load of 16).

Monday – 2 Conversational English Freshman classes – done by noon
Tuesday – off
Wednesday- 1 Conversational English Graduate student– done by 10
Thursday – 2 Conversation English Freshman classes &
1 Western Culture class – done by 5pm
Friday - 2 Conversational English Freshman classes – done by noon

My Western Culture Class has 60 students in it – but the rest are smaller than 28

Side note – I must be doing something wrong – My tiny washing machine keeps stopping and it is not draining, rinsing or spinning well. It took me 3 hours to do one load of wash which consisted of 1 towel, 1 long underwear top and bottom, 2 pairs of underpants and 1 bra. When I hung the still semi soapy load up to dry and they were still so full of water I now have a puddle in the middle of my living room (uncarpeted) floor.

Zac & Chinese Chicken Soup

I miss my “Zacky” – Zac emailed me saying that I haven’t mentioned that I missed him in the blog – so I want to make SURE that he knows I really (and always) miss him (and Nicole and of course the rest of you guys too). This is my favorite picture of Zac. A little dirty but definitely mine. He was working on Herb Parkers sculpture in Charleston at the time (Click on Nature Based Work - Zac helped build all the ones that had grass supports).

Last night I went to dinner with the other American teacher here, Kris and Jim, a couple from Dalton Georgia. We ate in a restaurant that they have enjoyed. My choice for one of courses was the eggplant dish which I love over here, they ordered a delicious potato dish (very tiny shredded fried potatoes and onions) and big bowl of chicken soup. The soup had a whole cut up chicken in it complete with feet and head. We of course skipped those parts but the parts we could figure out and pick out were really good. It was in a ginger soup, which was spicy and really good on this cold rainy day.

PS - I can't take credit for the great picture - someone else - but I don't know who...sorry to whomever was the talented photographer.

It's Magic

Even though the Slingbox worked in various places in the United States (Florida and my kitchen) I still had doubts that it would work in China. BUT IT DID. This morning I watched the Survivor show with Gail from half way around the world – Ain’t technology great! I still worry about it when the students come back and they start hogging up the ZUFE bandwidth with their online games but lets assume it will still work with only a few hiccups. I look forward to watching the Today show this evening!

Side note: -- not working well tonight – Stream rate was too slow- I had to give up - maybe tomorrow morning.

Second side note -- Whoopee - It worked great this morning - Tim Deagan was as cute as always just irrelevant in terms of Hangzhou weather and The Evening News streamed just fine.

Technology Side note – I am going to try and blame it on jet lag – but 2 days ago I blew up my iPod doc (the speakers that an iPod sits in). I stupidly plugged it into the wrong kind of socket. It tripped a breaker somewhere else in the building and the repairman had to come up to fix it. Oops

Chinese Latern Festival

I arrived back in Hangzhou just in time for the end of Spring Festival with the finale being the Lantern Festival. It is sort of “the parties over” announcement “so get back to work”. Picture July 4th and Christmas decorations combined. They make various shapes with wire and cover them with silk or a facsimile and light them from the inside. The general theme this year had a lot of rats, coins, dragons and of course Olympic references. I bused into Hangzhou last night and had dinner with Ron, another American teacher, and some of his Chinese friends. After dinner we joined the crowds and walked around to watch the fireworks and see one of the lantern displays. Weird thing was the fireworks were all around, not located in one predicable safe spot. We actually drove inches next to a big box of fireworks being set off, the big kind like you see at the 4th not the rinky-dink ones that any good red-necked American can buy in the states. Their fireworks shows don’t start or stop at a prescribed time either - they are still going on and they don’t require darkness. I have heard at least 5 sets since 8 am this morning and it is only 11:30 am. The Chinese like their fireworks. It is traditional to set them off when there is a festival, birthday, funeral, store opening, a new floor being finished on a building or just because. There they go again……short one this time ……sounded like just firecrackers.

Back in my ZUFE Apartment

Well the two guys before me were not the cleanest dudes in the world, but one of them (known as the “beer guy”) managed to switch out the apartment’s former uncomfortable couch with the one that is marginally more comfortable which was located in the lobby. For that reason I will forgive that fact that the guys never washed the floors and left blood on the wall (beer guy again). I have been cleaning and shopping the last two days. I took a trip to WuMei (think Walmart) my arrival day and yesterday a trip to Metro (think Sam’s). I picked up some survival stuff, hairdryer, cheese, bread, air freshener (beer guy smoked) towel, laundry soap, etc. I have more to get but have to space out the purchases cause there is only so much you can lug home by hand. I still need a few more things like an alarm clock, a broom, cups and glasses – I had to drink my hot chocolate out of a measuring cup this morning.

I am well – getting close to being over my jet lag – I actually slept till 5 this morning, but I am still getting those weird jet lag dizzy spells. Couple more days…

Side note – My ZUFE contract said the 20th so I arrived by the 20th like a “good little follow the rules girl” – but the hotel/apartment building is officially closed till tomorrow– minimal staff. All the canteens and campus stores (including the water bottle store) are closed, no key to my door, not one towel and apartment was not clean. Things are improving –they changed my sheets (after I had slept in them one night – yuck) and I finally got my key card last night (before had to always make sure the desk guy was around to let me in). It is really good that this is not my first time teaching here – because if it was I would have never unpacked. A newbie would have never been able to get to WuMei, or Metro for the basics, how to dial out on the phone, where and how to get water, known how to run the washing machine, what the bus routes were, or known where to exchange money (I am almost out from the $ exchange I made in Chicago – lousy rates so I didn’t do very much). Thank goodness that the first time I was here I had lots of help. Belated many thanks Ms Sun!

AGGHHH –How Do You Fit 75 lbs of …Stuff… into a 50 lb Suitcase

Just a couple more days and I am returning to China. I look forward to returning BUT I dread the 24 hour plane ride. Jacksonville to Chicago, Chicago to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Hangzhou. I start out early Monday and don’t get there till late Tuesday night.

According to the United Airlines web site I am allowed two 50-lb bags (23 kg) plus carry-ons. I am packing much more practically than last time but it is still really hard to narrow down a years worth of clothing and still fit in my peppermint patties and my favorite smelly pillow. I am bringing the packing expert Paula over today to see if she can spot some items that might be eliminated from my “still too big” pile.

Say a couple of prayers that my body and ALL baggage arrive safely in Hangzhou and are picked up and delivered to a nice clean, unlocked, apartment on the ZUFE campus. (They lock the hotel/apartment entrance and unman the desk at 10:30 pm and my plane isn’t scheduled to arrive until after 10 and it is about an 40 minute taxi ride to the school.) As soon as I am coherent I promise I will send out an “all is well” email/blog.

Side Note: Paula's advice was to buy a bigger second suitcase - I gave in and did...So much for being more efficient this time around.
Second Side Note - both suitcases were JUST BARELY under 50 -- no pillow room - maybe when I come back in July/August